Ahmedabad To Worse

Actually, that's an unkind title. Ahmedabad, the bustling capital city of Gujurat, is relatively pleasant compared to many of the massive urban sprawls I've passed through. Still, whenever you cram four million-odd people together into a small area on the banks of a river, you're going to have problems, and for some reason I found it difficult to look past those of Ahmedabad during the twenty-four stopover hours I spent in the city.

First off, the traffic is horrendous, snarling through the city like animate tendrils of metal. Crossing any road, or even walking along one, requires stainless steel nerves and a certain disregard for both the safety of oneself and (especially!) other people. Even the traffic in Delhi, fabled for its insanity, seemed mild compared to this.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the poverty evident throughout the city. Ahmedabad is a city that has fought its way through numerous economic down-times, and there are many people visible who have fallen along the wayside. Slum areas squat wretchedly next to the river, hemmed in by polluted water on one side and ugly concrete office blocks on the other. Most street corners are populated by beggars, and street kids are everywhere.

I normally avoid taking photos of people living in poverty, but as I walked down the street in the middle of the day, I ran across a scene that has burnt itself into my mind. Two ragged street kids lay sprawled on a concrete island amidst the manic traffic, occasionally raising themselves to stretch out filthy hands on stick-thin arms to the cars that drove pass. I watched them for a while, and not once did I see anyone in a vehicle give them anything, or even acknowledge their existence. Eventually I walked them off the middle of the road, and gave them the change from my pocket for food - although it's likely to be stolen by a bigger child or appropriated by one of the so-called "beggar pimps", I couldn't just walk away without doing something, and I couldn't see anywhere around to even buy them food (by far my preferred form of charity, since it is so much more direct than giving money).









The worst thing is that this is not at all unusual - I have seen similar things all across India and Nepal, and I fully expect to see worse in Mumbai. As a human being from a wealthy country, the poverty in India is something I struggle with everyday; the worst thing is that I can't even come up with a fraction of a bad solution, let alone a good one.

But Ahmedabad did leave me with a couple of better memories, and some less heartbreaking photos. At sunset, I went to the local Jama Masjid, a beautiful courtyarded area amidst the downtown chaos, and found an island of peace. As I walked around enjoying the afternoon sunlight, Muslim men began filing in and crowding around a pool in the middle of the courtyard, washing in preparation from prayer. As the azan sounded, no-one paid me any mind, content to let me sit quietly and watch (an unusual event in Islamic India - generally, non-Muslims are kicked out as soon as the muezzin opens his mouth). Although I don't like Islam as a moral (and especially legal) framework, I find the rituals and sounds of the religion deeply moving, and it was a great pleasure to enjoy it without feeling like I was intruding.









As the sun finished setting, I walked back to my cheap hotel room near the station, fingering the ticket in my pocket. Another overnight train, second class sleeper of course, to Bhuj, the regional capital of Kutch. I didn't even really know why I was going there, but I was ready to escape the touristy bustle of the big city. As it turns out, Kutch may well be my favourite area of India so far - stay tuned for the next post to find out why.